Elementary Education [Post-Baccalaureate Program]

Location(s): In-person/hybrid

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Students pursuing this program will complete elementary teacher certification requirements. Students wishing to pursue an endorsement in any area of special education, in addition to their teaching certificate, should see the master’s teacher certification and endorsement in special education program described under the Department of Special Education. Students wishing to be certified in any of the following areas have requirements that differ from the general programs listed below and must obtain additional information from the College of Education Office of Academic Services: art, music (vocal and instrumental), physical education, business, management, marketing and technology, and technology and design. General procedures for obtaining post-baccalaureate certification can be found under the College of Education.

Initial contact for all post-baccalaureate students should be with the College of Education Office of Academic Services.

Curricula
Most courses required for post-baccalaureate certification are undergraduate courses (course numbers under 500). It is important to note that 600-level or higher courses may not be used on a program of study.

Department Information

Teacher Education 313 Porter, 734.487.3260

Wendy Burke, PhD, Department Head

Advisor Information

College of Education Advising Center | Make an appointment, 206 Porter, 734.487.3415

Program Admission

Students must meet all of the following requirements

Have earned a four-year baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.
Minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 2.5, or 3.0 in the last half of the undergraduate program, or a 3.0 in a master’s degree from an accredited college or university.
Personal Statement, letter of recommendation and a department application.
ICHAT criminal background check and Statement of Civil/Criminal Convictions. Those answering yes to any of the civil/criminal conviction questions will need to provide:
- A copy of the Judgment of Sentence, or Registrar of Actions, or Certification of Conviction, and
- A written explanation of the offense(s). Application of students with civil/criminal convictions will be carefully reviewed and may take longer to process.
Meet academic, social, moral, and financial obligations as a member of the EMU community.
Compliance with all other admissions requirements.

If an applicant has between a 2.0 and a 2.5 cumulative undergraduate GPA, shows competency in at least one of the test areas (mathematics, reading and/or writing), and meets all other admission conditions, then the applicant may be admitted as a Post-Bachelor’s Non-degree student. The non-degree student must complete a minimum of 12 credit hours at EMU, selected with an advisor, and earn at least a 2.5 GPA (C or higher must be earned in all classes) in order to apply for admission to the Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification program.

Once admitted, students are considered teacher candidates. Manuals, policies, and procedures are available to all teacher candidates here. Teacher candidates should print the student manual, read it and keep a copy for their records.

The teacher preparation program has a process for identifying teacher candidates with professional weaknesses. The process is called “red flagging” and is explained in student and faculty manuals. Two red flags can lead to dismissal from the teacher preparation program.

Program Requirements:

The student must

Have a review of previous course work performed by the College of Education Office of Academic Services, to determine those requirements already completed, both for the teaching subject major/minor and for certification.
Successfully complete major/minor requirements for elementary education.
Successfully complete required hours of fieldwork experience. Presently a minimum of 100 clock hours of field experience is required, including required practicum courses.
Successfully complete professional elementary education course requirements.
Successfully complete student teaching.

Exit Criteria:

The student must have

Successful completion of all course work on program (designated minimum GPA overall, and in majors/minors).
Successful completion of required student teaching.
Successful completion of required subject area tests.
Recent signed civil/criminal convictions statement.
Current adult and child CPR and first aid certification meeting Michigan Department of Education requirements.